2009 Top League Challenge Series

The 2009 Top League Challenge Series was the 2009 edition of the Top League Challenge Series, a second-tier rugby union competition in Japan, in which teams from regionalised leagues competed for promotion to the Top League for the 2009–10 season. The competition was contested from 11 to 25 January 2009.

2009 Top League Challenge Series
Countries	Japan
Date	11 – 25 January 2009
Champions	Ricoh Black Rams (1st title)
Runners-up	Honda Heat
Promoted	Honda Heat Ricoh Black Rams
Matches played	6

Honda Heat and Ricoh Black Rams won promotion to the 2009–10 Top League, while Mazda Blue Zoomers and Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.

Competition rules and information

The top two teams from the regional Top East League, Top West League and Top Kyūshū League qualified to the Top League Challenge Series. The regional league winners participated in Challenge 1, while the runners-up participated in Challenge 2.

The top two teams in Challenge 1 won automatic promotion to the 2009–10 Top League, while the third-placed team in Challenge 1 and the Challenge 2 winner qualified to the promotion play-offs.

Qualification

The teams qualified to the Challenge 1 and Challenge 2 series through the 2008 regional leagues.

Top West League

The final standings for the 2008 Top West League were:[1]

2008 Top West League First Phase standings
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Honda Heat	5	5	0	0	220	58	+162	4	0	24
2	Toyota Industries Shuttles	5	4	0	1	238	89	+149	3	0	19
3	World Fighting Bull	5	3	0	2	192	107	+85	3	1	16
4	NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes	5	2	0	3	95	154	−59	2	0	10
5	Chubu Electric Power	5	1	0	4	54	224	−170	1	0	5
6	Osaka Police	5	0	0	5	67	234	−167	0	0	0
Legend: P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points.

• Honda Heat, Toyota Industries Shuttles and World Fighting Bull qualified to the Second Phase.

2008 Top West League Second Phase standings
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Honda Heat	2	2	0	0	85	42	+43	1	0	9
2	Toyota Industries Shuttles	2	1	0	1	57	62	−5	2	1	7
3	World Fighting Bull	2	0	0	2	39	77	−38	1	1	2
Legend: P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points.

• Honda Heat qualified for Challenge 1.
• Toyota Industries Shuttles qualified for Challenge 2.
• World Fighting Bull were dissolved.

Top East League

The final standings for the 2008 Top East League were:[2]

2008 Top East League standings
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Ricoh Black Rams (R)	10	10	0	0	546	139	+407	10	0	50
2	NTT Communications Shining Arcs	10	8	0	2	375	170	+205	7	1	40
3	Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars (R)	10	7	0	3	404	229	+175	8	0	36
4	Tokyo Gas	10	7	0	3	378	205	+173	6	0	34
5	Secom Rugguts	10	6	0	4	427	177	+250	6	2	32
6	Kamaishi Seawaves	10	7	0	3	240	221	+19	3	0	31
7	Suntory Foods	10	4	0	6	168	415	−247	3	1	20
8	Kurita Water	10	3	0	7	188	265	−77	2	1	15
9	JAL Wings	10	2	0	8	230	386	−156	3	0	11
10	Hino Red Dolphins (P)	10	1	0	9	129	525	−396	1	1	6
11	Akita Northern Bullets	10	0	0	10	118	471	−353	1	1	2
Legend: P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points. (R) indicates a team newly relegated from the Top League. (P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.

• Ricoh Black Rams qualified for Challenge 1.
• NTT Communications Shining Arcs qualified for Challenge 2 after a play-off match against Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars.

The following match was played:

	4 January 2009	NTT Communications Shining Arcs	32–28	Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars

• Hino Red Dolphins were relegated to lower leagues.

Top Kyūshū League

The final standings for the 2008 Top Kyūshū League were:[3]

2008 Top Kyūshū League First Phase standings
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Mazda Blue Zoomers	5	5	0	0	322	54	+268	5	0	25
2	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	5	3	0	2	191	69	+122	3	1	16
3	Chugoku Electric Power	5	3	0	2	122	138	−16	2	0	14
4	JR Kyūshū Thunders	5	2	0	3	48	188	−140	0	0	8
5	Toshiba Oita	5	1	0	4	61	163	−102	1	2	7
6	Yaskawa (P)	5	1	0	4	44	176	−132	0	1	5
Legend: P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points. (P) indicates a team newly promoted from lower leagues.

• Chugoku Electric Power, Mazda Blue Zoomers and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries qualified to the Second Phase.
• Toshiba Oita and Yaskawa were relegated to lower leagues.

2008 Top Kyūshū League Second Phase standings
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Mazda Blue Zoomers	2	2	0	0	70	14	+56	2	0	10
2	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	2	1	0	1	34	53	−19	1	0	5
3	Chugoku Electric Power	2	0	0	2	36	73	−37	0	0	0
Legend: P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points.

• Mazda Blue Zoomers qualified for Challenge 1.
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries qualified for Challenge 2.

Challenge 1

Standings

The final standings for the 2009 Top League Challenge 1 were:[4]

2009 Top League Challenge 1 standings
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Ricoh Black Rams	2	2	0	0	135	20	+115	2	0	10
2	Honda Heat	2	1	0	1	80	79	+1	1	0	5
3	Mazda Blue Zoomers	2	0	0	2	25	141	−116	0	0	0
Legend: P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points.

• Honda Heat and Ricoh Black Rams won promotion to the 2009–10 Top League.
• Mazda Blue Zoomers progressed to the promotion play-offs.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2009 Top League Challenge 1:[4]

	11 January 2009	Mazda Blue Zoomers	25–60	Honda Heat

	17 January 2009	Ricoh Black Rams	81–0	Mazda Blue Zoomers

	25 January 2009	Honda Heat	20–54	Ricoh Black Rams

Challenge 2

Standings

The final standings for the 2009 Top League Challenge 2 were:[4]

2009 Top League Challenge 2 standings
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TB	LB	Pts
1	Toyota Industries Shuttles	2	2	0	0	161	57	+104	2	0	10
2	NTT Communications Shining Arcs	2	1	0	1	157	41	+116	2	0	6
3	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	2	0	0	2	24	244	−220	0	0	0
Legend: P = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points.

• Toyota Industries Shuttles progressed to the promotion play-offs.

Matches

The following matches were played in the 2009 Top League Challenge 2:[4]

	11 January 2009	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries	24–120	Toyota Industries Shuttles

	17 January 2009	NTT Communications Shining Arcs	124–0	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

	25 January 2009	Toyota Industries Shuttles	41–33	NTT Communications Shining Arcs

See also

• 2008–09 Top League
• Top League Challenge Series

References

1. "West Regional Top League 2008/09". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
2. "East Regional Top League 2008/09". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
3. "Kyushu Regional Top League 2008/09". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
4. "Top League Challenge 2008/09". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2017.